saveasteading

Anyway, the boundary is where it is agreed to be. The fence is a separate matter.

The red line, if scaled, measures most of this foot. Boundary lines can be very approximate, unless based on a visible feature. So I, as others, am wondering how the discrepancy has become apparent.

Let's say you can build it yourself for £1k/m2. That does not include your labour as a cost, and you will be very good at avoiding waste. Add 50%....£1.50. Allow for using a series of building trades instead. Add 25% for their costs and risks. £1.90. A main contractor adds another 20%...£2.30. Then there may be a PM. But let's now say the spec is a lot higher. That £1 becomes £2. The £2.30 becomes £4.60/m2. How much can you do yourself?

No reason to doubt it. But I still say you do what I suggest above. I have just about done with the discussion I think....now up to you, and do keep us informed.

We have a very large quantity of salvaged granite blocks, some very big and sort of round. My son-in-law is keen to use them for landscaping , in walls and features, so the big ones need splitting or shaping. If I was to encourage this by supplying the necessary splitting wedges, is there any advice on quality, and number? I have seen them on Amazon at 8 for £30, and elsewhere at £30 each. nothing in-between.

I'd like to see how this is made, because a warm pipe running through a cold isn't going to do 50% heat transfer unless it is multicelled like a radiator or air recovery box. I'm all for this working, but have been discounting the ones I have seen over many years...maybe sorted now. As PD says above, the water isn't so hot by the time it reaches the drain. In a 'man shower' as he calls it, the tray is taking quite a lot of the heat out...which is heat recovery. In a long shower this changes. So 50% recovery of not as much as we would like. These are only for cold feed instantaneous showers too, although with extra plumbing the cold to the mixer could go through these. Plumbing getting messy.

Yes you can. If their Engineer is fully qualified, and has PI, then going straight to ultimate experts can save you a lot of money. I am just concerned that you are still talking to Sales, and not Engineering. Imagine buying this house, then the injection people turn up and shake their corporate head. So you must get a written quotation, and written assurances from their Chartered Engineer that this is the correct proposal for this house, and confirmation of their insurance cover.(which should be in Millions, not thousands.) Part of my concern, and others here I believe, is that this process may close the cracks but not resolve an underlying problem, Underpinning takes foundations deeper, where the ground is more stable. I understand that the resin just fills gaps between the foundation and the wall, but please advise.

There is negligible bending stress at the end, so it is fine. The bco should also know this. But if he doesn't, tell him that you know it is not ideal, but have been informed that there is negligible bending stress at the supports. Then you may just end up needing proof. I'm sure it will be easily explained in some book which we here might find.

Even college trained tradespeople have great gaps in their knowledge. I suspect many tutors don't know in the first place. How beams work shoud be fundamental training to sparkys, plumbers etc. One hour talk with hands on examples of the effect of depth, and how the middle is neutral space. And then there is airtightness, vapour barriers....

In collapse maybe, but they can start to bounce excessively, and that is part of the design assessment.

Yes that seems clear and is normal. A drawing and spec, in sufficient detail for the highways Engineer to assess and accept. So the acknoeledgement seems to be for the record, but you wont be considered as started yet. The 14 days is punitive, but it should only need a couple of hours design and a nice letter to go with it. It seldom hurts to be polite, so i would probably email the officer to apologise (if your architect told you, you must have misunderstood) and say if you will comply/ be a bit slow...and is that ok?

Cost per m for silvershadow's benefit? Or if that is commercially sensitive, a range. I assume that an insurance company or mortgager would want it professionally supervised.

I think the argument is the other way round. Not, this has heating so is regarded as a house so you must insulate it. But, you have a space heating system, so you must not waste energy. Then the targets kick in according to use. Using local infra red heating does not require insulation.

Not everyone is clever. Not all clever people have the faintest idea about technical stuff. Some people have little time or money. Some people are lazy and selfish and uncaring, but that applies to all of society. Doesn't the landlord inspect his own property?

Welcome. I look forward to your input.

I refer you to the remarks I have made before re the knowledge of the BRE folk who designed and control the program.

For an occasionally used workshop I would consider a Mediterranean type Aircon unit. A fan and heat exchanger outside and fan inside. They used to be very poor for heating, but now appear to get a 4x energy rating. For £500. Plus an infra-red work-bench facing heater for instant warming of you. There is a good big one with optional stand at toolstation. They all show a bit of visible light now. for unbelievers and to remind us to turn it off.

Could you explain further please? A short strap inwards onto the stone jambs is ok because we will fit a timber plate into the junction. But we want to leave the stone exposed as much as possible. Pleased to say that the bco has accepted the stone being exposed internally, locally as long as we trade off with more insulation elsewhere.

You have been doing it more recently than me then. Never done it (ie supervising from above) other than manually. What else has improved? How do you pack up the last few mm to prevent a tiny gap and further settlement? How long is each section and do you prop it or cross fingers? In a tight space revert to hand dig?

I am very interested but sceptical. I would need to see detailed designs and justification for the loadbearing capacity, and why frost heave won't affect it, being so shallow. Most commercial buildings have huge point loads. I guess it is that i have investigated so many ' amazing new ideas' that makes me sceptical. Screw piles for one, were said by the suppliers to support factory columns, but couldn't. Expanding foam, as in a concurrent discussion has its place, but limited. So don't let me stop you, but report as you go please.

I have in my head £350/m for underpinning, but that was a while ago. A horrible and slow job, done in small sections, using shovels, tunneling under the foundations.

That is why Estimator is a particular skill.

Sitting it on some aggregate does nof seem adequate, other than for a temporary or lightweight building. Garden shed yes, garage no. And you don't need insulation under the slab for these purposes....why not use local stone?

It is expanding foam. It expands under the slab, and forces its way into gaps and cracks, and also forces the subsided slab upwards. It does not resolve an underlying problem. Underpinning extends the foundations downwards, into deeper ground that is stronger and less influenced by weather and trees. Two different things. I would consider the foam if there was an obvious reason for subsidy other than foundation failure...eg in a warehouse if 3 tonnes of steel had been dropped. A guarantee from the installer would be interesting to see, if they have offered it.

Interesting stuff. Made from waste bottles. Stone that insulates. No pir, no footings. What's not to like? £130/m3 is a lot of course. But how thick to insulate to standards and support the structure?